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Progressing well...need a "clue"

I posted a while ago asking for advice on some tools to do a CBG build with my students, and got some great ideas - thanks! We've been working on the project for the past month (this is being done with my Middle School "Guitar Club" that only meets once a week). In addition, I've started a couple at home myself. Feel free to take a look, and offer unsolicited advice and/or "What were you thinking?!?" comments (though if I said to feel free to offer them, I suppose it's not unsolicited...):

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150723098423246.405825.6...

I've NEVER done woodworking or the like, unless you count building and fixing fences and general barn work! This has been a lot of fun.

I'm looking for some ideas for the themed guitar I'm building for my son, who is a Blues Clues fanatic. (I always meant to have a kid that played "Blues Guitar"...) There's several photos in the album of it. I'm planning on cutting the pupils and the nose out of the face for the sound holes, though I've been finding it a challenge to find the right tool to cut the holes. He chose the box, so it's a bit thinner wood than I would have hoped...I think I'm going to try a knife or a Dremel on it....

I'm trying to figure out something to use for the bridge & nut, and I'd like it to be dog-themed. I've thought about using something like this for a bridge: http://www.usknobs.com/Emenee-MK1052ABB-Knob-Dog-Bone-Shape-Antique... OR, using a metal bone paperweight I've seen - would this be too heavy for it, though? I don't know how big you really want the bridge to be.

I've also considered using a dog tag for the "bridge plate" that would be attached to the top, then a bolt or something would sit into the tag for the actual saddle. I have a soldering kit now, though I haven't used it before - would solder be enough to hold a metal saddle onto the tag for this purpose?

Thanks for any advice and/or comments!

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 20, 2012 at 11:53pm

Are you going to paint the face? How about big floppy ears made out of felt on the sides hanging down too. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on May 21, 2012 at 12:15am

your ideas sound great ,, i suggest a paw print sound hole/s ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Paul Marchese on May 21, 2012 at 4:46am

Love the ear idea - may have to explore that one, since the guitar body is the dog's face, and the sound holes are his pupils and nose. I'm a bit puzzled about the bridge placement, though - I've thought about a bone, but also considering putting it where the tailpiece meets the box so that nothing is marring the face on the box - would this be a bad idea, sound-wise? Obviously, sound is not the only priority on this guitar, but it'd be nice if it sounded good, too!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Marchese on July 29, 2012 at 2:54pm

UPDATE -

It's done...(been done for a while - just took this long to get pictures up...) I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of it - something I was not expecting at all. I was content with this one being primarily a "show piece", since it was for my 4-year-old...

After looking around (A LOT), and considering your replies, I decided to carve out a little bone and paint it for the saddle, then used a piece of brass from the hardware store for the bridge. Worked out well!

Since I didn't cut back or angle the head, I added 3 small brass eye screws as string guides (after removing the capo, of course!), which worked out well!